T.I. and Tiny Harris saw their $71 million courtroom win against toy giant MGA Entertainment tossed out Tuesday (July 8) after a federal judge ruled they failed to prove the company intentionally copied their girl group, OMG Girlz.
U.S. District Judge James V. Selna acknowledged that jurors had “substantial evidence with which to find that MGA misappropriated the OMG Girlz’ identity” but said the Harrises didn’t meet the legal bar for punitive damages. The decision wipes out the multimillion-dollar award and sets the stage for a new trial.
“These pieces [of evidence], when put together, establish just one passing reference to the OMG Girlz in MGA internal emails and one image of a single band member on one product designer’s Pinterest board that also contained over 1,200 similar fashion-related images,” Selna wrote in his ruling. “This is not clear and convincing evidence of willful infringement or conscious disregard for the rights of others.”
Selna also pointed out that MGA’s conduct wasn’t “reprehensible,” the OMG Girlz suffered minimal emotional distress and the Harrises are “not financially vulnerable.” He offered the couple the option to accept a symbolic $1 in punitive damages instead of retrying the case. They declined and are reportedly moving forward with a full retrial.
The lawsuit, filed in 2023, accused MGA of lifting the likeness and style of the OMG Girlz for its L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. dolls without permission. The original jury sided with the Harrises, awarding them $71 million in damages before the judge’s reversal.
Meanwhile, the couple is also dealing with renewed public scrutiny after former associate Sabrina Peterson resurfaced sex trafficking allegations on Instagram earlier this month. Peterson, who has previously accused the couple of misconduct, posted several messages aimed at them.
T.I. appeared to respond indirectly in a video shared online, saying, “Yeah, mane, I’m just out here, man. Just thinking how beautiful it is today, man. You know, it’s a beautiful day to not be a buster, man, it’s a beautiful day to not hate on nobody. It’s a beautiful day to not spread lies and to not be negative. It’s a beautiful day, man, to mind your business, it’s a beautiful day, bruh. God has blessed us with this beautiful day. Don’t take it for granted, don’t take this beautiful day for granted.”
He continued, “Don’t be out here spreading propaganda just because you unhappy with your life and yourself. Man, God has blessed you too, man. He got your blessings. Don’t look to nobody else or point blame at somebody else because you ain’t reached or tapped into your blessings yet. They’re coming, alright?”
The retrial date has yet to be scheduled.
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